


Your Life's No Longer Empty

by Lost_Girl_02



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Castiel is Saved from the Empty (Supernatural), Episode Fix-It: s15e19 Inherit the Earth, Episode Fix-It: s15e20 Carry On, F/M, Found Family, Idiots to lovers Destiel, M/M, Minor Donna Hanscum/Jody Mills, Minor Ellen Harvelle/Bobby Singer, Minor Kaia Nieves/Claire Novak, Soft Saileen, Their love was real, There's actual peace when they're done
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:35:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29478546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lost_Girl_02/pseuds/Lost_Girl_02
Summary: Chuck might be defeated and de-powered, but that doesn't mean the Winchesters can rest just yet. Castiel is lost to the Empty and Team Free Will 3.0 is going to get him back no matter what.And there's still the matter of Cas's confession, Sam and Eileen finally getting their chance at being a couple, and a found family that deserves a bit of peace together.***Basically, my version of how I think a Destiel and Saileen-centric 15x20 should have gone down. (Original, I know.) Canon-divergent from probably 10 minutes from the end of 15x19, featuring pining idiots, domesticity, actual communication, and probably some cliches and mild corniness.
Relationships: Castiel & Jack Kline & Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester
Comments: 5
Kudos: 62
Collections: Their Love Was Real: a Destiel & Saileen Fanworks Challenge





	1. You Gotta' Bring Everyone Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chuck's defeated, but does that mean the Winchesters can rest? Short answer: not quite yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick prologue to fix the end of Inherit the Earth and to better tie into my fix-it for the finale.
> 
> I just found out about the #TheirLoveWasReal challenge yesterday (b/c #DeanCasWedding was trending and I was DYING) and the Day One prompt (Carry On, Canonverse) really gave me the motivation to write the fix-it for 15x20 I've had in my head. So, I banged this entire fic out in like 8 hrs, proofed it today, and will post the first two chapters tonight and have the last two up tomorrow.
> 
> I'm fairly new to the fandom, the infamous Nov. 5 Twitter trend brought me in although I had some awareness of Destiel and SPN at the edges of my fandom. So, I watched the finale live having only seen 6.5 episodes, then watched a 15 year show in 3 months, and got more and more pissed at 15x20 as I watched more of the show.
> 
> This is probably cliched and a mash up of my fav and personal headcanons, but my idea with this was to write a way that we could have had Destiel and Saileen and a proper ending within the text of the show (obviously completely ignoring the actual finale though).
> 
> Sorry for the long, A/N, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything. The title is from "Carry on Wayward Son" because I am *so original.*
> 
> Enjoy!

The tires of the Impala crunched over the sand and pebbles as Dean drove away from the abandoned strip of beach, Chuck's pleas and whining fading as they sped down the dirt path towards the town.

Sam grinned, taking a second to glance behind him to watch God—well, he guesses not _God_ anymore, just some washed up writer—writhe pathetically on the ground. He let out a deep breath. It was finally over. No more apocalypses (yes, plural, Sam hates his life sometimes), no story or script to follow, just...life.

He caught Jack's eye, hoping to share some of the excitement and relief, to maybe thank the kid again ( _their kid_ —because no matter what Dean tried to tell himself, Jack was their kid, his and Dean's and Cas's—fought God and _won_ ), but his face immediately fell, his heart slamming against his ribs.

"Jack? Are you okay? What's wrong?" He could feel Dean's worried glance, but he was twisted around in his seat so he couldn't be certain.

Jack was pale and shaking, his face screwed up in what looked like pain. Nothing was ever over, was it?

" _Jack_?" Dean called, his voice unsteady. "What the hell, man?"

"...Amara," Jack managed to grind out, his eyes opening. But one was demon-black, the other angel-blue.

"Pull over!" Sam shouted, and he must have sounded really panicked because Dean yanked the wheel, the Impala careening onto the shoulder and slamming to a stop.

Before the car was even stopped, Jack was pushing the door open and falling to his hands and knees in the grass.

"What the hell is happening?" Dean demanded, but Sam could only watch as Jack straightened up and then a bright, white light filled his vision.

It was like heat and fire was radiating in waves from Jack, and Sam had to throw an arm over his eyes to keep from being blinded.

(He tried not to think about how many times they had seen angels burning up from the inside, their Grace coming out of their eyes and mouths, wings burning onto whatever surface they landed.)

(He prayed—although he didn't know who he was praying to, or if it made a difference—that when he opened his eyes, he didn't have to see Jack's eyes burned out... _again_ , his wings staining the asphalt, hopefully not searing themselves onto the Impala. He knew Dean would never be able to drive the car again if he had the reminder of wings on his baby.)

Thankfully, the light died, and Sam removed his arm with caution, and felt a wave of relief wash through him when he saw Jack curled up on the ground. His chest was moving shallowly, but his eyes were open and blue. Normal blue.

"Jack?" Sam asked cautiously, because the second he verified that Jack was alive, he saw the woman in a silvery grey suit and brown hair standing next to the Nephilim's crumpled form.

"What are you doing back?" Dean asked, and Sam couldn't help but notice the slight tremble of fear in his big brother's voice. He never talked about the extent of the hold Amara had over him, but he knew it wasn't something he liked to be brought up.

"I did just help save the universe, Dean," Amara replied dryly. "The least I deserve is a 'thank you,' don't you think?"

"Thanks," Dean shot back, his lips curled in disgust, "feel free to leave now."

"How are you, you know...alive again?" Sam asked, because as much as he hated to admit it, Amara was right. She did help them trap Chuck, and maybe she did deserve a second chance, the opportunity to right some of her brother's wrongs. (And some of her own wrongs too.)

"Chuck absorbed me and my powers into himself," Amara explained. "So, when Jack took Chuck's powers, my...essence I guess you could call it, was transferred too. And although he's strong, a Nephilim even, the Darkness and the Light warred within him."

"I felt like I was being ripped in two different directions," Jack muttered, sounding small, almost childlike. Sometimes Sam forgot that he was only three years old, that he was just a kid really. "I-I could feel my very atoms splitting apart."

"The Darkness and the Light weren't ever meant to be combined again after my brother and I split apart eons ago," Amara assured him gently, almost _kindly_. "You held out for a long time, but I needed my freedom."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Sam asked.

"Heaven could use some work," Dean supplied, shifting on his feet when all three turned to him. "What? She's just as powerful as Chuck and you heard C...you know Heaven's all screwed up. She deserves a chance to use her power for good."

"Thank you, Dean," Amara moved to lay a hand on Dean's arm but he shifted out of reach. "I won't be like Chuck, I promise. No more stories or strings."

"Yeah, well, if you step outta' line, we got an overpowered Nephilim to keep you in check," Dean retorted, crossing his arms and nodding at Jack with a smirk.

And Sam had to agree. Amara could run Heaven the way she always wanted, and they were so desperate for a leader now, the angels would accept her easily. Plus, he certainly trusted her more than Chuck to make some improvements. And if all else failed, Jack still had all of Chuck's powers, he just needed (deserved) some time to learn who he was before he started creating alternate universes and being all-mighty God.

"But you gotta' bring everyone back," Sam continued, his heart nearly stopped beating. They were still on a barren planet after all. "Eileen, Donna, Cas...everyone."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dean wince at Cas's name (Sam still didn't know what had happened when Cas summoned the Empty, his bother was being his usual brand of stubborn, repressed, alcoholic, tight-lipped-ness about the subject), and even Amara was staring at Dean.

Her head tilted slightly, almost as if she was reading his mind. "Jack," she simply said, turning to the still-weak Nephilim, and Jack nodded as he stood.

He took her hand, and for a minute, nothing happened. But then Amara's eyes turned dark and Jack's flashed that golden color of his Grace, the two almost glowing with power.

And then it ended.

And Sam's phone started buzzing in his pocket. Pulling it out, Sam saw messages flooding in from the Apocalypse World hunters, Stevie, Charlie, even one from Claire Novak that said she couldn't reach Dean or Cas. For a second, his heart stuttered in his chest, Eileen's name was so obviously absent it was almost a flashing sign.

But, then he remembered he had taken Eileen's phone from her driveway, the shattered reminder of one more woman he loved that he couldn't save.

"I'm sorry I can't do more," Amara said, and for a moment, she sounded genuinely apologetic. "The Empty...it's beyond my reach. And Chuck shouldn't have been able to influence it either, it was a perversion of my powers and his to raise Lucifer one last time."

Dean flinched again, this time more obviously, almost a full-body convulsion. Sam had felt that terrifying hope that had bubbled in his chest when they heard Cas's voice over Dean's phone. And he knew it would have been so much worse for Dean when he sprinted up the stairs and only saw Lucifer's smug face behind the door. (What with the "profound bond" and all that. They were in love, simple as that, and it was obvious to anyone with eyes.) Sam still remembered Jess's face turning into Lucifer's all those years ago, the shudder of hopelessness that went through him.

"So, what? That's it?" Dean shouted, his voice angry as he turned to Jack. "Chuck said he brought Cas back a crapload of times before, so _do something_!"

"Dean," Sam tried to interject, but his brother just turned to him, his eyes wide and watery in a way Sam hadn't seen in years.

"What!" Dean cried, throwing a hand out towards Jack. "He's _God_ now, or whatever. God resurrected Cas before, Jack can do it now."

"It's not that simple," Amara said, since Jack was silent, looking terrified and shell-shocked.

"The hell it is!" Dean fired back, his face a mask of rage and hurt.

"It's _not_ ," Amara repeated, her tone brokering no argument. "Chuck had millennia to hone his powers and control to such a degree, and with Jack's human side...you can't know what the consequences will be."

"We'll find another way," Sam promised, and Dean's face hardened, but he dropped the subject. And Sam really doesn't want to think about what he's going to do to himself when they get back to the bunker. (His brother doesn't have the best coping mechanisms in the best of circumstances, never mind when he lost his angel.)

"Where will you go, Jack?" Amara asked calmly. "You're welcome to come to Heaven with me, the Light and Dark united on high."

Jack shook his head, his face unreadable, but he stepped back so he was in between the Winchesters. "We can be in harmony without being in the same place," he said simply. "I think I want to live a little on Earth. I still haven't gotten a speeding ticket yet." It was said with the cadence of an inside joke, though Sam had no idea what he was talking about. (The kid wanted a speeding ticket?) But Dean huffed out a short laugh nonetheless, causing Jack to grin slightly. "I'm a Winchester...I'm going with my family."

"Very well," Amara inclined her head before vanishing into thin air.

With a sigh, Dean stepped forward to wrap an arm around the kid, patting him on the back once before stepping back. "That took guts, kid...giving up Heaven for a crappy life with two past their prime hunters."

Sam shook his head and rolled his eyes, because he wasn't "past his prime" quite yet, and he knew that trying to get Dean to stop minimizing his worth was useless. Plus, when he tried to brush off big emotional moments with sarcasm, he was really trying to say the exact opposite.

"Two past their prime hunters, a Nephilim, and a twice-resurrected badass are going to save an angel from damnation." Dean shook his head, leveling Sam with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "That is, if Eileen still wants your gigantic mug around."

Sam threw his brother one of his classic, " _Seriously, Dean?_ " bitchfaces, wanting to rub a hand down his face in frustration, but he couldn't help the smile that came to his face just at the thought of Eileen.

"Yeah, I guess we need to go pick her up, fill everyone in," Sam sighed, mentally starting a list of all the phone calls he was going to have to make.

"Make sure Donna goes to Jody and the girls," Dean offered out of the blue, and Sam turned to his brother in total confusion. "What?" He shrugged casually. "Those two need to get together like yesterday...they've been waiting long enough already."

Sam just stared at his brother in complete and utter disbelief. _Is he serious_? Because, yeah, Jody and Donna were definitely into each other, they had the whole, " _two badass moms raising a group of misfit girls_ " thing down...but did Dean even _hear_ himself?

Because Sam could think of two people who had been waiting to get together for longer than Jody and Donna. And their names started with a "De" and ended in "stiel."

(He really needed to thank those high school girls for coming up with a shorthand for referring to the two idiots.)

"Sure," Sam tried to communicate the disbelief at Dean's lack of self-awareness as the three made their way back to the Impala.

"Team Free Will 3.0, baby!" Dean clapped his hands as they drove off towards the bunker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this prologue! I really think Jack deserved to actually, you know *live* after being a weapon/power source for most of his life. He was only 3!! And expect more from Shipper!Sam because he's just the most fun to write!
> 
> Next up, we're diving into 15x20, although it will basically be nothing like the finale we got (which I hope is a good thing).
> 
> If you liked this, please feel free to leave a comment or kudos, I appreciate every interaction I get.
> 
> See you in the next chapter!


	2. Bring Your Angel Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With all their focus on summoning the Empty, Team Free Will 3.0 finds themselves facing the reality that they might have one more miracle left in the cards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here is the next chapter in my finale fix-it fic for the #TheirLoveWasReal challenge! It still counts if it's just past midnight, right??
> 
> Because 15x20 should have been about getting Cas back from the Empty and I will never forgive the writers for that.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own SPN or Destiel and Saileen would be unequivocally canon.
> 
> Enjoy!

"Dude... _dude_!" Something shook Dean's shoulder, his head dropping rapidly downwards.

Jolting upright, Dean jerked awake. "I'm up, I'm up," he grumbled blearily, wiping at his eyes. It took a minute to orient himself, but he recognized the shelves of the bunker's library, and there was a laptop with a dark screen in front of him.

"Fall asleep researching again?" Sam asked, sitting down across from him, offering a plate of eggs and what Dean hoped was real bacon instead of the truly awful vegan crap Sam insisted on buying.

"Never thought you'd hear yourself say that, huh?" Dean quipped, taking the plate to hide from Sam's annoyingly knowing expression. Because not even three days ago, his little bro had found him passed out in the library using a half-filled bottle of whiskey as a pillow, and he had woken up with a hangover headache instead of a stress-induced one.

"Dean..." Sam sighed, but Dean cut him off before he could start in on his near-daily, 'we'll find something if we just look hard enough' speech.

"How's Eileen?" He asked, and it wasn't just a distraction technique—the hunter was badass and way better than Sam deserved. (And he meant that in the fondest terms.) Plus, it was a bonus to see his brother blush like a schoolgirl.

"She's great...trying to sleep in." Sam laughed, "She, uh, threatened to sleep in another room if I insisted on getting up at five every morning to run."

"Well, yeah, 'cause that's insane," he pointed out in between bites of omelette.

"Yes, it's so insane to try and keep healthy and in shape now that we're not fighting for our lives every day," Sam snarked with a good-natured roll of his eyes.

"Exactly," Dean gestured with his fork, not seeing the issue. Why waste what little downtime they have by not sleeping in with their hot girlfriend? (In Sam's case. Dean understood it was slightly hypocritical because he hardly slept anymore unless he passed out from exhaustion.)

"Find anything yet?" Sam asked, changing the subject, but that only served to send a twist of guilt and pain through Dean.

Because there was nothing. No mention of Nick's spell. Nothing on the Empty...no way to get there, no way to pull someone out.

"Nope, nothing. There's not even a _mention_ of the spell Nick used to bring Lucifer back last year," Dean ground out, stabbing his laptop's power button viciously. "Anything from Rowena? Jody and Donna? Garth?"

"No..." Sam trailed off, his phone starting to ring. "Give me a sec, this is Rowena." He got up and wandered out of earshot.

Dean crushed the swell of hope that made its way into his traitorous chest. She was probably just checking in, no way she actually found the spell. Jack had remembered a lot of the Enochian that was said, but they still had no idea on the ingredients Nick had used to summon the Empty. All they knew was they needed Cas's blood. (And every time someone mentioned that particular fact, Dean tried not to think about the jacket he had stuffed in the back of his closet and had refused to wash or even touch in the past few weeks.)

Thankfully, he was distracted from trying to eavesdrop on Sam's phone call by Eileen staggering into the library, wearing a too big flannel shirt Dean recognized as one of his brother's and her hair a rat's nest of tangles.

 _Bacon?_ He signed, pointing to the plate in front of him.

She nodded mutely, taking a piece and humming in contentment as she chewed. Sam had taken pity on him and made the greasy, full-fat, all-meat bacon and he was gad Sam's girlfriend appreciated it. Couldn't have the next Winchester be vegetarian, Dean wouldn't ever be able to cook anything for her.

 _Who's he talking to_? Eileen asked, nodding her head back towards where Sam was frantically pacing.

 _R-O-W-E-N-A_ , he replied, spelling out the name because he couldn't remember if she had given the witch turned Queen of Hell a name sign yet.

Eileen nodded, putting a hand over Dean's, the one that was tapping out the drum beat to _Moby Dick_ on the table top. He grinned thinly, appreciating the gesture nonetheless, because they had all been working around the clock, trying to find ways into the Empty. Eileen had called in her hunter contacts in Ireland to help with the research and was keeping Sam from feeding off of Dean's paranoia and spiraling.

Sam had even talked about turning the bunker into a kind of headquarters, building up the Men of Letters again to work with the hunter network he had started with the Apocalypse World survivors. Although this time they would be working together and on both sides of the Atlantic.

"Thanks," Sam's voice filtered back into earshot for Dean, Jack coming into the library as Sam did.

Even though Dean was pretty sure the kid was technically God now, he still looked like a grumpy teenager in the morning—his hair a wreck and eyes practically closed as he stumbled into the room.

"What'd Rowena say?" Dean asked, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice, but he had a feeling he was failing.

Sam took a deep breath, giving Eileen a soft kiss as he sat down, slinging an arm around her shoulders. They were already so domestic it would be sickening if Dean wasn't so glad his brother had finally found the happiness and balance he had been searching for for so long.

"She found it," Sam breathed, signing the words as he did, a worried but hopeful look on his face. "Or she... _talked_ to Nick's soul and got something that sounds accurate, or accurate _enough_."

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Dean asked, letting the optimism start to take hold. He didn't want this to be one more failed attempt. Shit, they...he... _Cas_ deserved this one last miracle.

Sam looked like he was trying not to smile, that the desperate hope Dean was so familiar with in his eyes, "Rowena'll be here in..."

"Hello boys," a Scottish accented-voice declared, and Dean whipped around in his seat to see the petite redhead standing there in one of her signature high-end, sequined dresses, curls piled on top of her head.

Sam tapped Eileen on the shoulder so she would turn around to see the witch, Jack sitting up straight.

"Come on, don't you want to say hello to your Auntie Rowena?" She purred with a smirk, opening her arms wide.

* * *

Jack looked at Rowena nervously, still trying to wake up. He had been practicing controlling whatever God-powers he had, seeing if he could wake Cas again like he did the first time Cas went to the Empty, but he had no way to tell if it was working or not. And by the time he had become exhausted, practically fainting on his bed, it was well past three in the morning.

Apparently, the human side of him still needed sleep.

But the witch had exhausted herself trying to keep the rift to Apocalypse World open and had tried to save him when Jack was dying (the first time), so he figured she was something close to family at this point.

Stepping forward, he gave Rowena a quick hug, and based on the way she hesitated to actually wrap her arms around Jack's shoulders, he had a feeling she wasn't expecting the hug.

"You have the spell?" Dean stood up, cutting right to the chase.

Jack ducked his head, wishing there was more he could do to help the Winchesters, to help Castiel. Even with all these powers, he was still useless, just a child who couldn't do anything.

(He still remembered Dean's shouted words when he was trying to turn himself into a bomb. That they should let Jack do it because he wasn't family...not like Cas was. And if the Winchesters had taught him anything, it was that family deserved to be together.)

"It took some... _persuasion_ ," Rowena emphasized the last word with a smirk, rolling her eyes when Sam and Dean fixed her with matching glares. "Oh, don't get all riled up, I promised him a nice, cushy administrative job for the information, and he was more than happy to cough up the spell. Quite simple really."

"I have the Enochian words Nick used," Jack added, thankful for the memory of an angel that preserved the ritual in his mind. He pulled out the napkin he had scribbled the Enochian onto and laid it next to the ingredients Rowena had set on the library table.

"Wonderful job, dearie," Rowena said, turning to look at Dean. "But we still need the angel's blood and the blood of whomever is going to the Empty."

"I'll be right back," Dean muttered, is face shuttered as he practically ran from the room, his entire body tense.

Jack could tell that there was something Dean wasn't saying...about the ritual, about Castiel's death...

(He remembered the Shadow holding Cas up by the throat, and then Castiel trading his own life for Jack's.)

( _I want you to suffer_ , the Shadow had declared, _I want you to go back to your normal life and forget about this and forget about me and then when you finally give yourself permission to be happy and let the sun shine on your face...that's when I'll come, that's when I'll come drag you to nothing._ )

(He knew Dean would never forgive him if he knew that Jack let Cas make that deal for _him_ , a soulless Nephilim who used the second chance from Castiel's deal to kill his mother.)

(It was a long shot, but maybe Jack could fix it if he was the one to bring Castiel back.)

Straightening his spine, Jack took a look at the bunker—at Sam and Eileen signing to each other, drifting into one another's space like they were drawn together; at Dean walking in, his hands twisting in green fabric, a bright red handprint staining the shoulder; even at Rowena, her hands shaking slightly as she laid out the ingredients to the spell.

"This is Castiel's blood?" Rowena confirmed, taking the jacket from Dean's hands.

"Yes," Dean ground out, his face stony but Jack thought his eyes looked bright, almost like he was about to cry, and he let go of the jacket reluctantly.

"Wonderful, and..." the witch trailed off, almost like she wasn't sure if she should finish the thought. "You wouldn't happen to have any blood of that handsome trickster, would you?"

Sam sighed, looking crestfallen, Eileen's hand curving around his bicep. "I can look, but..."

"Of course, of course," Rowena waved away the rest of Sam's sentence, tossing her head a look of too-casual ease on her face.

"We'll get Gabriel back," Sam promised, and Jack hoped he wasn't lying, that there were a few more miracles left for them. He wanted to get to know his Uncle Gabe, he seemed fun. "We have the spell now, we'll find something of his, and we'll get him back...Crowley too."

"But first, we're bringing Cas home," Dean declared, clearly marking the end of the conversation, the hunter obviously on edge.

Rowena nodded, folding the green jacket neatly and placing it in the bowl. "All we need is the blood of which one of you handsome devils is going to the Empty. So, who is that going to be?"

"Me," Jack, Sam, and Dean all said at once.

Jack flushed, lowering the hand he had extended for her to cut as Rowena and Eileen shared exasperated looks.

"You might want to sort that out," Eileen smirked, gesturing between Sam and Dean.

* * *

"This isn't up for discussion, Sammy," Dean crossed his arms, fixing Sam with a steady look. He doesn't think he's ever seen his brother so determined when it wasn't about trying to sacrifice himself for Sam or the greater good.

"What are you talking about?" Sam shook his head, grateful that Eileen had ushered Jack and Rowena towards the map table so they wouldn't hear what the brothers were talking about. "You don't have to do this alone. Cas is my friend too, so let me come with you."

Dean looked down so Sam couldn't see his face, but he felt like vibrating out of his skin. It was so unlike Dean to be so calm, steady even, when it came to Cas. Normally, he'd be threatening to lock Sam in his room so he could take all the risk on himself. Not _talking_ to try and get Sam to understand his emotional state and where he was coming from.

"Shit, those girls were right about the melodrama," he muttered, so quietly Sam wasn't sure he had heard him right. But he raised his head, fixing Sam with an open look—so many vulnerabilities were on his emotionally repressed brother's face it was almost unnerving. "Look...Eileen, she's great, man, and she's perfect for you."

"What does Eileen have to do about any of this?" Sam asked, even if he did agree.

Eileen came back.

Jess burned, Sarah died, Madison died, Amelia left...but Eileen _came back_.

And she understood the hunting life, hell, she would probably hunt for longer than Sam would, but more than that, she understood _him_. The need for independence but the desire to share a life with someone, to fall in love in the most terrifying way. That things weren't all or nothing.

"I'm not letting you risk that, man," Dean shook his head, a tear falling from one eye. "And Cas..." his voice broke, and Sam (not for the first time) wondered what had gone down that day Cas was taken to the Empty.

"Cas," Dean started again, "he made a deal last year, like an idiot of course," although he said 'idiot' with such fondness it wasn't an insult anymore, "to save Jack. So that the Empty...it would come when he was happy, truly happy."

Sam had a feeling he knew where this was going and his heart broke for his brother. But he stayed silent, letting Dean get the words out in his own time.

"He told me a bunch of crap...half of it I'm not even sure I believe," Dean's mouth tugged up in a wry, self-deprecating smirk, but Sam didn't interrupt. (Even if he wanted to shake his brother and say that he was being ridiculous, and Cas wouldn't say something he didn't mean or wasn't true.) "But...it boiled down to...he-he told me...he told me he loved me."

With those words, Dean looked up, his eyes pleading for Sam to understand...that this was why Dean had to do this alone. And Sam wanted to beam because one of them had finally admitted their "bond" was more but wanting to cry because it had come at such a steep cost.

Even though it killed him, Sam nodded. Because if it was the other way around, if Eileen was gone and Cas was here, there was no way in hell he would let Dean give up his happiness with Cas for Sam's.

"Okay," he agreed. "But if you don't come back, I'm going in myself to drag both your asses out."

Dean smiled gratefully, pulling Sam into a hug and clapping a hand on his back before letting go. "Thanks, Sammy."

 _Just bring your angel home_.

* * *

Rowena chanted in Enochian behind him, Sammy's voice had been shaking too much to get the words out and Dean still couldn't read the damn language.

(He might have to start learning though, if Cas agreed to the plan. They would have to leave his Grace behind, and he tried not to think about the implications.)

(How many times did Cas have to bleed, metaphorically and physically, for them? How many times did he Fall because of _Dean_?)

Holding out his hand, Dean didn't even blink as Rowena used a dagger to cut a neat line in the center of Dean's palm. Once his blood dripped on top of his jacket, right on top of Cas's handprint, the one that so matched the burn on his shoulder (the burn itself had faded, but sometimes Dean could still feel the imprint there, like his very soul was branded), Jack stepped up, healing his hand easily.

"I wish you'd let me go, Dad," Jack murmured. Dean wasn't even sure the kid knew that he was talking aloud because that ' _Dad_ ' hit him over the head like a sledgehammer.

He knew he hadn't been the best to the Nephilim since he had accidentally killed Mom, that Jack thinks Dean doesn't consider him family. But he forgave him a long time ago...Jack didn't know what he was doing, and he regretted it deeply.

(It was a little hard to stay mad at him when the kid was sobbing, curled in a ball, once his soul returned, overwhelmed by guilt.)

(After all, Dean knew what it was like to feel the weight of regret like a stone upon your back, the Mark especially brought out that feeling. All the people he killed to feed it, beating Cas when the angel didn't raise a hand against him and was only trying to help. The list could go on.)

"Hey," he put a hand on Jack's neck, gently making him meet Dean's eyes. "You're way too important to risk, okay? And I just want to say...I'm proud of you, kid. And I know it hasn't always seemed like it but...I love you."

Jack looked stunned, tears welling in his big blue eyes (eyes that were so reminiscent of Cas's it was hard to remember that he wasn't actually Cas's biological son) as he threw his arms around Dean. "I love you too, Dad."

Dean ruffled the kid's hair as he released him, "I'm gonna' bring your other dad back too, no matter what."

"It's time," Sam interjected, Jack taking a step back to let Sam give Dean one last hug. "Be safe."

"Aren't I always?" Dean joked. Not his best material, but it got Sam to crack a grin as Eileen gave him a hug too. _Look after this Sasquatch_ , he signed to her, making sure his hands were steady.

 _Of course,_ she replied, before taking Sam's hand. "Be careful."

Dean nodded, taking one last look at the room, at most of his family—Rowena comforting Jack with an arm around his shoulders, looking more maternal than Dean had ever seen her, though her eyes were fiery with purple magic; Jack openly crying, although he didn't make a sound, just let the tears stream down his face; Sam and Eileen, hand in hand, finally together, finally having a chance.

That was all Dean wanted: a chance.

A chance to save Cas, a chance to actually use that free will they fought so hard for, a chance to live. (A chance to love, maybe truly love for the first time.)

"See you soon, bitch," he smirked, giving Sam a two-finger salute.

"Jerk," Sam replied with a watery smile.

Dean took a deep breath, looking at the bubbling, black ooze in front of him. His angel was in there. He had torn through all of Purgatory for nearly a year, taking down monster after monster, just to find Cas, he could handle the Empty.

With one step forward, Dean was surrounded by blackness, nothingness.

He was in the Empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know this was technically light on Cas, but there will be plenty of him/Destiel in the last two chapters. And did no one watch the show and realize they already set up a way to summon the Empty in S14?? Just smh.
> 
> Also, there is no way Dean would not totally ship Saileen, come on! And I brought back Rowena b/c she was just the most fun and Gabe/Rowena is one of my niche ships.
> 
> Anyway, feel free to comment and kudos if you enjoyed, I love reading any and all comments (even if they're just rants about 15x20).
> 
> The next two chapters should be up tomorrow night!
> 
> See you in the next chapter!!


	3. It's Yes or No, Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean's in the Empty, but he still doesn't know if Cas wants to risk losing his Grace to escape, while the rest of Team Free Will 3.0 wait with bated breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has read and given kudos already!! I appreciate you guys so much, you have no idea, it legit makes my whole day!
> 
> In this chapter, be prepared for what is probably a super cliche Destiel reunion, but I couldn't help myself, I wanted some classic Destiel callbacks damn it! Also, this is what I would want 15x20 to be if the writers could actually let the characters talk to each other as the climax of the show instead of a pointless vamp fight (*side eyes actual 15x20*)
> 
> Disclaimer: I very obviously don't own Supernatural.
> 
> Enjoy!

Being in the Empty wasn't as empty as one would expect. Although the entity itself valued its peaceful sleep, whatever trance it had its inhabitants in was not very peaceful.

Castiel was vaguely aware that he wasn't "awake," but that didn't mean he was just existing in some black nothingness for the rest of eternity.

No, his unique torture (his reward) for waking the Empty up in the first place was that he got to lose himself in all of his worst memories. The things he wished he could take back. What he had been trying to atone for for years.

( _He was staring out at a sterile, white warehouse, thousands upon thousands of Dean Winchesters lying dead at his feet. Blood on his hands, Dean's voice still begging in his ear, saying, "_ Cas...don't do this _"_ _as he drove an angel blade into the hunter's heart._ )

( _He was standing in an alley, raising two fingers to Sam Winchester's forehead, but not to heal. To bring a wall crashing down and flooding the poor boy with the worst of his trauma from the Cage._ )

( _He was waiting outside a farmhouse, watching one of his brothers stalk inside, the cry of Lily Sunder's daughter that would haunt his dreams echoing around him._ )

( _He was watching his son rip apart an archangel, one from another world, not stopping him as he burned through his soul to save them all._ )

( _He was shoving his hands into Bobby Singer's abdomen, reaching out and grasping his soul, draining it to power himself up, ignoring the man's screams_.)

( _He was watching Dean, beautiful Dean, tell him that there was no other choice, turn to Michael, and say "yes." He wasn't stopping him even though he had once beat him bloody for wanting to do just that._ )

( _He was in the Cage, looking at his Fallen brother, having the sudden realization that the rest of his brethren might have been right. That he wasn't any better than Lucifer, the "yes" falling from his lips, because maybe this way he could be of use to the Winchesters._ )

( _He was invisible, watching Dean do something as mundane as rake leaves. And he was turning away, not showing himself, not asking him for advice, not letting Dean tell him that there was always another way. He was going with Crowley to Hell._ )

( _He was standing in an abandoned building, wishing that there was another way. There had to be another way. He was listening to the Righteous Man as he said, "You ask me to open that door and walk through it...you will not like what walks back out," even though Castiel was already doubting, already Falling._ )

So many memories, regrets layering over each other. Michael, Lucifer. Hell, Heaven, Purgatory. Sam, Jack, Bobby, Ellen, Pamela Barnes. Dean Dean Dean.

He heard footsteps that were out of time with his memories...something was wrong. Someone was near.

Struggling to the surface, he fought for his consciousness, because although he was at rest, he wasn't at peace. Maybe this would give him some.

Castiel opened his eyes, and what a battle it was to do so, and he wasn't even sure that they _were_ open because all he could see was the never-ending darkness of the Empty. Although, before he could let himself sink any further into despair, the footsteps sounded again, and just for that fact, Castiel knew it wasn't the Empty. It would just appear when it wanted something from him.

Hope sprung in his chest, wondering against all the odds, if someone had found a way into the infinitely old cosmic entity.

"Who is it?" He called, his voice hoarse from disuse, as he peered into the shadows, something tugging on his Grace.

Out of the shadows appeared Dean—dressed in a rumpled flannel, old jeans fading at the knees, his worn out boots, hair a little unkempt, and still just as perfect as he remembered—looking determined and fierce and cocky. Like he was the one used to leading garrisons of angels into battle.

The Righteous Man.

"I'm the one who's about to grip you tight and raise you from perdition," he grinned, clearly unable to help himself.

It was a line that had been used against them so many times, by Michael, by Chuck, to make light of that moment—the moment Castiel began to truly Fall, began to change. But it had always meant more to Castiel.

He had walked into the barn twelve years ago, naïve and blinded by faith. But looking into Dean Winchester's eyes, he knew there was more to humanity than his brothers and sisters believed.

And here they were, twelve years after that night, and maybe it had all led to this. Twelve years of arguments and longing looks. Twelve years of almosts and what ifs. Twelve years of saving each other, sometimes from themselves.

Twelve years of doubts and Falling and _falling_ in a much more terrifying sense because it was falling in love.

And so Castiel couldn't help but smile. "Hello, Dean."

* * *

Eileen watched the black, oozing portal in the middle of the library, the faint vibrations of Sam's pacing feet keeping her aware of his position even when she couldn't see him.

She knew that there was nothing to do now but to wait, and that Sam was not the most patient when it came to waiting for his family to return from dangerous situations. Keeping the portal in the corner of her eye, she tracked Sam's pacing, wondering if it was possible to wear a hole in concrete floors.

Jack was sitting across from her at the library table, nearly motionless and clearly deep in thought. Castiel meant a lot to him obviously, but so did Dean—Sam had said that the three of them were practically Jack's fathers at this point.

(When she learned this information, she had said that she felt sorry for the poor kid. The amount of Dad Jokes he was going to be subjected to was truly unfortunate.)

Rowena was keeping watch over the spell, although Eileen was fairly certain that there was nothing that could be done. When the flame died, the portal closed. And if Dean and Castiel were still on the other side...they might be able to try again, but each time they performed the spell, it only increased the odds of losing someone again.

Looking over at Sam, Eileen couldn't help but feel a little selfish, hoping that she wouldn't have to let Sam jump into the portal after his brother and best friend. It seemed like they had just found a rhythm after losing so much time (dying really put a damper on the possibility of a relationship) and she didn't want to lose it.

"What happens if they don't make it back?" Jack asked, looking at her so she could read his lips.

Sam stopped and it felt like the air had been sucked out of the room, Rowena ducking her head to study the flickering flame in front of her. They all knew the answer to his question, Eileen was even willing to bet Jack himself knew, but no one wanted to say it out loud.

Dean and Cas had to come back. They had to.

* * *

Unable to believe his eyes, Dean strode over to Cas, pulling him into a tight embrace, his hands fisting the back of Cas's trench coat. He wanted to bury his face in Cas's neck and never let him go. Arms came up to encircle his own shoulders, and Dean just pulled Cas closer, feeling his eyes start to burn with tears.

It had been months since that day in the dungeon and Dean wasn't sure he was ever going to get to do this again. To do something as simple as hug his angel. And he could live in this moment forever.

Unfortunately, since Cas was awake, that probably meant the Empty was pissed and was more than likely going to be looking for them.

He stepped back reluctantly, but not completely, since he left one hand on Cas's shoulder before letting it drop. "Look," he started, talking quickly, "we don't have a lot of time, but...we can get you out if you want. But," he winced internally at this next part, knowing it would hurt Cas, "your Grace has to stay here. It'll trick the Empty into thinking you're still here, but you, _human_ you, can get out."

He saw Cas's face fall, and his stomach sank down to somewhere around his knees, wondering if he wanted to stay. After all, he would just be a lowly ape without his Grace, shackled to a forty-one year old borderline functional alcoholic who had no reason to deserve a literal angel.

"I know the last time you were human," he started talking faster, trying not to remember that time six years ago because the pain and guilt threatened to cripple him, "it-it was my fault how shitty it was, but it won't be this time... _I_ won't be so shitty. Cas...I need you."

(He remembered falling to his knees in a dark crypt, talking around the blood in his mouth, his arm broken, an angel blade hovering over his face, wondering if he said, "I love you" because it's easier than saying "I love you.")

"I won't be able to help you anymore," Cas muttered quietly. And although his tone was despondent, Dean detected the hope in his eyes, that maybe that wouldn't matter.

(And of course it didn't.)

(Dean knew he wasn't blameless in making Cas believe that he only called him, only wanted him around, when he was useful to him, and sometimes he didn't know if he was going to be able to fix that.)

"You're a Winchester," Dean stressed. "You and Jack, and..." But he couldn't finish the sentence, realizing he fell back on the family argument because that was the only kind of love that had stayed with him.

Even though that wasn't exactly true.

John's love was conditional. If he could protect Sammy, fight the monsters and kill them, find a girl for the night and move on. Maybe if he did all that, he would earn his father's love.

Mary's love was for the boy that died in a fire. The one that ceased to exist the moment he ran out of their house holding his brother. But he thinks she might have started to love him again by the time she died for the second time.

Sam's love was constant, but he still left. And maybe Dean was just starting to realize that Sam didn't leave him because he didn't _love_ Dean, but because he loved himself. And Sam needed to share that big heart of his with those like Eileen who deserved it.

"My Grace was already failing before this," Cas shrugged weakly.

(" _My powers are failing...I've tried to talk to you about it...you just won't listen_.")

"I was already Falling once again," he finished, and Dean didn't want to hope, but that sounded a lot like he wanted out.

"I'm sorry," Dean said lamely. Because how do you apologize to an angel for causing them to literally Fall from Grace because of you?

But Cas just smiled, "Every time I Fell, it was because I loved humanity more than I loved Heaven. I don't regret Falling, I never did. I...I regretted not being able to help you."

Chuck had said that Dean's Cas was the only one who Fell after pulling him from Hell.

(" _They did what they were told._ ")

And he realized that he was close to losing Cas again, because, somehow, Dean's need to be useful in order to keep those he loves close has spread to Cas. And he doesn't know if he knows how to say, " _Stay...just 'cause. Stay with me_."

"We need you because you're _Cas_ ," he tries anyway, his skin crawling with anxiety that the Empty would find him and then it won't matter _what_ he says, he'll lose Cas anyway. "You're our friend, our brother, and we... _I_ lo—" ( _Why can't he say the words?_ ) "It's yes or no, man."

* * *

Sam had to get out of the library.

Staring at the swirling mass of black in the center of the room for going on three hours now was absolutely brutal. Torture of the worst kind and Sam (unfortunately) was an expert on the subject.

So, when Eileen pulled him towards the main room, he went willingly, leaving Rowena and Jack to watch the portal for any developments.

 _You okay?_ She signed, her dark brows furrowed with worry.

He shrugged, 'cause there wasn't an easy answer. Although, there was something he had been wanting to ask, and there's no time like when your brother is in a plane between worlds trying to rescue your angel best friend and the love of his life.

 _I know this isn't the best time, and probably pretty fast,_ Sam began, hoping he wasn't mixing the signs up, or his hands weren't moving too quickly. _But...do you want to move in together?_

 _There had to have been a better way to lead up to that,_ he thought with a slight wince as Eileen's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Not _here_ , I mean." He started talking too, wondering if he had signed a word incorrectly and maybe just asked her to move to the moon or something ridiculous. "But, maybe close by, and it's totally okay if you say no," he knew he was rambling, but now he couldn't just... _stop_. _Talking_. "I just...we lost so much time, Eileen, and..."

"Sam Winchester," Eileen interrupted, one eyebrow raised and a gorgeous, mischievous twinkle in her eye, her hands effortlessly forming the words. "Are you asking me to move into my house?"

He looked down, because, yeah, that sounded like a pretty good plan to him. She lived just outside of Lebanon, not even an hour's drive from the bunker. He could still help coordinate the hunter-slash-Men of Letters network and she didn't have to worry about what was going to happen to her house while she was out on hunts. And...they could have a _house_ together.

"Uh, I guess," he finally said, his cheeks burning with the slightest bit of embarrassment. "If that's alright, you know, with you."

In response, Eileen just wrapped a hand around his arm, tugging him down to her level and pressing her lips to his. Sam closed his eyes, his arms automatically coming to her waist to bring her closer to him. No matter how many times they kissed, it still felt new to him, that spark alighting in his chest like she was breathing life back into him.

Their lips slid gently over each other for the briefest of moments before Eileen pulled back. Keeping her forehead resting against his, although she made sure he could see her hands, she pulled her fingers into an undeniable sign.

 _I love you_.

It was the first time they had said it to each other, and Sam didn't hesitate to sign his love right back. This was real.

However, their moment didn't last very long because Jack was shouting, "Guys?" in a worried tone of voice and Rowena was calling for "Samuel."

"What's wrong?" He asked, signing the words as well to keep Eileen in the loop, the two racing back into the library proper.

"Something's happening," Jack replied, as if that wasn't the _last thing_ Sam wanted to hear.

Nothing good ever came after "something's happening."

* * *

Castiel studied the man in front of him, the one struggling with words, tripping over his own tongue in an effort to say what Castiel desperately hoped he wanted to hear.

Because if the question was keeping his Grace to stay in the Empty or losing it to live a life with Dean...there was no choice at all.

The glossy, perfect image of Heaven had been shattered a long time ago (twelve years to be exact) and, even if he wanted back in, they would never accept him again. His brothers and sisters called him the second Lucifer, the Fallen One, and he didn't like thinking about how apt that moniker was sometimes.

They both Fell for love.

He was scared, however, that the love he had for Dean, for humanity, would be twisted into something ugly and hateful like Lucifer's love for his father was.

And every mistake he had made since that first Fall back when they were only fighting their first apocalypse, was trying to stop himself from Falling. Consuming the souls in Purgatory to become God, working with Metatron and shutting the gates of Heaven, cannibalizing Grace from his own siblings...all of it was because he was terrified of becoming human. (Of the _emotions_ that came with being human.)

Because he desperately wanted to be a human, more than he wished to be an angel, and that was an affront to God's will.

(But humanity was supposed to be better than the angels, and God turned out to be kind of a dick, as Dean would say, so he shouldn't be afraid to Fall.)

(Falling was always how he saw his story ending anyways. One last Fall, the one that mattered, the one that stuck, that was a choice.)

And he knows Dean's soul, but more than that, he knows the man, and that sometimes "I need you," really means "I love you." Because Dean has loved people who didn't need him and when they left, or he was forced to leave, it broke him.

(Castiel had been one of those people, had left Dean Winchester broken and hurting in this way.)

Needing someone, to Dean, is the only kind of love he knows, because it's all he thinks he's capable of deserving.

But maybe, maybe if Castiel takes this chance, says "yes" one last time, they'll both find that love isn't a need. It's a desire. And it's selfless and selfish and messy and imperfect, but maybe they both deserve to have a no-strings-attached win for once.

To believe that good things do happen to them.

(Yet, he remembers Dean telling him, "You left," and the only response Castiel had was, "But you didn't ask me to stay.")

(Because it sometimes still felt like he was too separate from humanity. That he didn't know if he belonged, but if Dean asked him to stay, he would stay for as long as he could.)

"It was never a question of want." Castiel chose his words carefully, making sure he didn't word this in a way that put too much pressure or guilt on Dean. (But Castiel just needs to hear that he is wanted instead of simply needed, because "need" is the only love he thinks he can accept sometimes.) "If you asked..."

"You'll stay?" Dean finished, his eyes pleading and desperate. The unspoken 'you'll still love me,' 'you won't resent me for causing you to Fall' echoing in the Empty.

Castiel nodded, sure of his choice in a way that he hadn't been sure of anything since he marched into Hell to find the Righteous Man. But, for the briefest of moments, where Dean didn't speak, he realized that they had been talking for quite some time, and the Empty should be close. And, for all he knew of Dean and his soul, he was unsure of what he was going to say.

But when Dean spoke, his voice was shaking, and green eyes filled with tears. "Stay. Cas...please...just, stay."

(Maybe Dean also said, "stay" instead of "I love you.")

* * *

Jack felt a tug at his Grace, and although the portal hadn't changed in any visible way, he knew that something was happening. For good or for bad, this seemed to be the end. Cas and Dean were going to step through the portal, or it would close and they'd be lost.

"Samuel," Rowena called, her voice unsure even as Sam and Eileen joined them in front of the dark mass. "The spell is almost dead...I won't be able to keep the gate open for very long after it dies."

"It's okay," Sam assured her, gripping Eileen's hand tight. All four faces were watching the portal with expressions of varying degrees of fear and hope there. "They're gonna' make it."

Jack believed that they would, he wanted to pray that they would but he felt a little silly because technically _he_ would be the one to hear his own prayer, so there was really nothing to do.

The room was dead silent as the flame in front of Rowena flickered out, and her eyes flashed with purple fire as she chanted something in Latin. Jack barely heard it, he was staring so intently at the portal. And as it began to shrink, it was like the world held its breath before two figures burst out, crashing into a table and rolling onto the floor.

Rushing to his fathers' sides, Jack grabbed Castiel by the arm, tears pricking his eyes as he wrapped the angel (although, now he was a man) in a bone-crushing embrace. He saw Sam do the same to his brother out of the corner of his eye.

"It's okay, Sammy," Dean said, patting the larger man's head like he was a small child, although Jack didn't miss the fond smile Dean exchanged with Castiel. "We're back. We're home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone for reading! There's one more chapter that I will hopefully have up by later tonight.
> 
> Please kudos, comment, bookmark, shout into the universe your thoughts about this fic!!
> 
> I hope it wasn't too corny, but like I said at the top, callbacks and meaningful echoes of lines are my absolute Achilles heel, I love them so much.
> 
> See you in the next chapter!


	4. Fucking Finally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There actually was peace when they were done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here is the final chapter of my 15x20 fix it!! This is probably the fluffiest thing I've ever written, but I also love it (and I'm not usually a fluff-kind of girl or writer).
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has read, is reading, or will read this fic! This was supposed to be a quick one-shot, but ended up as a 4 part multichapter *shrugs happily".
> 
> So, have some found family goodness and more feels-type convos and realizations!!!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or Cas (at the bare minimum), would've appeared in Heaven in the finale. I mean, the bar was on the ground people!
> 
> Enjoy!

_Two Months Later_

Sam sat in the bunker's kitchen, his arm wrapped around Eileen as he watched what Dean had dubbed their "Hunting Family" mingle with one another.

Garth and Bess were watching Little Sam and Little Cas, Jesse and Cesar Cuevas absolutely doting on the toddlers, wide smiles on all six faces.

Max and Alicia Banes were looking at Rowena with bright eyes, clearly soaking up some of the elder witch's vast knowledge.

Donna and Jody were sharing a kiss, much to the exaggerated chagrin of their wayward daughters. Kaia and Claire were arm-in-arm, laughing as Patience and Alex taught Jack the basics of poker.

Even the Apocalypse World hunters were going to be stopping by in an hour or so.

Dean and Cas were talking closely together like they usually did, but there's something different about it now. Dean doesn't stop himself from reaching out to Cas, and Cas is letting himself positively _beam_ every time he looks at Dean.

It wasn't the most conventional family by any means, but it was _theirs_ and it was certainly more than Dean and himself had started the past decade off with.

And as he pressed a kiss to Eileen's forehead, he couldn't help but wonder and hope that their family was going to expand once again someday soon.

He was opening his mouth to blurt out something that he should probably talk to Eileen about in private, the box in his pocket suddenly very heavy, when two figures appeared in the middle of the room.

And, of course, in a room full of hunters, even off-duty ones, they soon had half a dozen guns and at least two angel blades pointed at them.

"I come in peace," Amara held her hands up, a dry smile on her face, "isn't that the saying? Besides, I brought a gift."

Sam put the safety back on his gun, but Eileen kept hers trained on the Darkness, only relaxing slightly when he put a gentle hand on her shoulder. Although his grip tightened and he heard Dean suck in a breath as Bobby—and not Apocalypse Bobby, but the man who had been more of a father to Sam than John Winchester—stepped out from behind Amara.

"Is that really...?" Dean asked, and he looked like he was swaying on his feet, Cas putting a hand on his arm to steady him.

"It's a one-night-only kind of deal," Amara explained. "It took me a while to set Heaven to rights, make some changes, and find him, but...you both deserve a little reward for saving the universe after all."

Sam didn't care about 'deserve' or 'reward,' but tears sprung to his eyes as he crossed the distance to Bobby in two strides, Dean right behind him, and they both hugged their surrogate father tightly.

"I missed ya, ya idjits," Bobby muttered fondly, gripping the back of Sam's flannel with one hand and cupping the back of Dean's head with the other.

For the next half hour, it was a whirlwind of introducing Bobby to their new friends, and old friends' new partners (like Bess and Donna). Although, it was amazing to watch as Donna just hugged Bobby tightly, the old grouch looking completely unsure of what to do, Jody smiling fondly at her old friend, her eyes shining with affection for the blonde sheriff.

(Sam really wishes he had a picture of Bobby's face though. He looked like he got hit in the head with a shovel.)

And when Cas tried to shake his hand, only to be pulled into a brief hug, Bobby whispering something in the other man's ear that made him turn red, and then Dean was the one making absolute heart-eyes at Cas. But then, Bobby met Jack and told him that he was probably the closest he's got to a grandchild at the moment (a not-so-subtle glance thrown in Sam's direction) and there wasn't a dry eye in the place as the two embraced.

He even knew a bit of sign language to talk to Eileen, making her laugh so hard she had to sit down because apparently, he only knew the curse words and a few dirty phrases. This, however, led to Dean once again telling Bobby that he's awesome with an adoring look on his face.

Before long, Cas and Eileen were herding their guests out into the main room of the bunker, leaving Sam and Dean alone at the kitchen table with Bobby.

But once they were alone, Sam didn't know what to say. There was just _so_ much he wanted to tell him, nowhere felt like a good place to start.

Thankfully, Bobby broke the silence first, turning to Sam with a curious expression. "This blonde girl came into the Roadhouse the other day," he started and Sam's heart jumped to his throat. Dean even looked over, silently asking if he was okay, but he just wanted to know all that Bobby was going to say. Immediately. "Said her name was Jessica Moore, that she had a message for you, Sam."

It was like a physical blow, the idea that Jess was asking after him in Heaven.

Bobby just smirked fondly and continued, "Said that she loves you, but if you don't give that ring in your pocket to Eileen soon, she'll come down from Heaven to haunt your ass. That's a direct quote, by the way."

Sam turned over his shoulder, Eileen's dark hair just barely visible out the kitchen doorway. He knew Dean and Bobby were probably looking for a reaction, maybe a breakdown, or at least some indication that Dean could start teasing him about thinking about proposing three months into a relationship. But all he could think about was Eileen.

He still loves Jess, of course, a part of him always will, and when he told Eileen about her, she smiled sadly and said she wished she could have met her. (He still thinks they'd be the death of him if they had ever met, just...the fastest of friends and he would probably have no dignity after they tell each other all the dirt they have on him.) But that didn't mean he doesn't love Eileen just as fiercely, or that he isn't more in love with her than he could ever imagine.

And, yes, there's a ring he bought in 2005 for another woman sitting heavy in his pocket, but he's starting to think it always belonged to Eileen. He just hadn't known it then.

Because he had always wanted to marry, to have his own family, his own life, but doing so with Amelia, or even with Jess, would have been all or nothing.

An apple pie life or hunting. A girl or his brother.

And with Eileen...he could propose and they could build a life and it didn't mean he had to leave "the life" behind. He could step back, grow the hunter network, and still have a relationship...love...a life.

He had stopped carrying the ring in his pocket when Jess burned, but he kept it. Tucked it away in a box of forgotten memories. But he had found it again last night, hidden under a flyer for the retirement home where he had first met Eileen. (And he didn't believe in fate or destiny anymore, but that was one hell of a coincidence.)

And he wasn't planning on proposing any time soon, but it was still nice to have it there, to know that he _could_. That it wasn't all or nothing anymore.

"Yeah," he finally breathed, turning back to Bobby and Dean, a slight smile on his face. "I, uh, I will. And," his voice caught in his throat but he pushed through, "can you tell her...?"

Bobby just smiles knowingly and nods. "I'll tell her you're doing great. That's all she wants, that's all _we_ want for you boys...for you to be happy."

And when Sam smiles again, it's a genuine one and he finally accepts that maybe they _do_ get to be happy. That it's how their story is going to end.

* * *

Dean watched as his little brother blushed and finally said that he was planning on proposing to Eileen. It made him wonder when the chubby kid who cried in his arms and was scared of what was hiding in the dark grew up. He was a full-grown man and he seemed to have become one without Dean's notice or help.

And it should terrify him, that Sammy doesn't need him anymore, but more than anything, it fills him with joy. His brother is going to get to live the life he deserves, one with a badass chick and leading a bunch of hunters. Dean will get to be the fun uncle to all the little Sammys and Eileens—giving them driving lessons in Baby when they're way too young to drive and making sure they know all of Led Zeppelin's discography before they can walk.

(In his mind, he imagines Cas right next to him, Jack having a little Sammy on his lap, as Cas teaches the kids about bees, using words they won't understand for another ten years and will leave Dean scratching his head as to their meaning, but it'll make Cas so excited that Dean will be happy just being there with him.)

But, he was yanked out of the nice daydream by the spike of dread and a not insignificant amount of fear that stabbed at him as Bobby turned his attention to Dean.

"Now," he started in that gruff tone of his that left no room for argument. "If you haven't given some utterly sappy, chick flick worthy speech to that angel of yours, I _am_ corporeal enough to kick your ass into next week."

Sam practically snorted his beer out his nose and Dean wanted to drown himself in his whiskey.

So, he just gave a half-hearted laugh, his lungs tightening as he thought of all that he said in the Empty, so close to those three words that were always on the tip of his tongue but could never push past his teeth. "It's, uh, a little complicated," he offered weakly with a shrug.

But neither bought that, Sam leveling him with a classic bitchface and Bobby rolling his eyes so hard, Dean thought they were gonna' get stuck that way.

"Jesus, but you've put the poor fella' out of his misery and kissed him, right?" Bobby wiggled his eyebrows suggestively—in the way a father might ask a teenager about their high school crush.

Dean just looked down, clenching his hands around his whiskey glass so tightly his knuckles turn white, because he hasn't actually kissed Cas yet. The second they landed in the library, Cas human once again, he couldn't find the strength in himself to forget his father's words and fists.

( _No son of mine is gay...go find some girl to fuck this confusion out of you._ )

But, fuck, he wanted to kiss Cas.

He wanted to grab him by that stupid trench coat that had become synonymous with Cas and kiss him until they both forgot their hang ups. (Dean definitely had Cas beat in that department, but the other man wasn't without his idiosyncrasies. And it always felt like Dean was just one step behind, faltering and stumbling where he should be confident.)

Looking up, he rolled his own eyes and took a sip of whiskey as Sam and Bobby had a silent conversation—probably about him and his inability to express or communicate emotions effectively—right in front of him. Sam totally bitchfacing what was his, " _Dean, you're being an idiot_ " expression, and Bobby commiserating right back.

"Look," Bobby sighed, looking at Dean with the kind of stare that reminded him that Bobby had seen him at some pretty low points, but had also taken him to play catch up in the park when he was a kid and supposed to be practicing his shooting. It was the look of a father. "Your daddy...he put a hell of a lot on you that you didn't deserve when you were young. But the fight's over now...you can have something good."

(" _Good things do happen, Dean,_ " he couldn't help but remember.)

Shifting awkwardly in his seat, he wondered if Bobby was right. He _knew_ he was right about Dad. But if that was true, why had it taken Dean so long to accept it? Trying as hard as he was to stop listening to John's voice in his head.

"And that angel," Bobby continued, "he's about as good as it gets, so take the love while you still can." He sighed, actually looking down, and when he spoke again, his voice was tinged with something that could only be described as 'affection.' "Ellen and I...we're happy in Heaven, don't get me wrong, but...I still wish I had more time here with her, you know? It's different up there, perfect. But love ain't always perfect."

Doesn't Dean know it. He doesn't think there's one aspect of his relationship-not a relationship with Cas he hasn't fucked up to Hell and back (sometimes literally), but somehow they're still orbiting around each other—seemingly always waiting for the other one to make the first move.

"Shit, Bobby, you've turned into a right Nora Ephron," Dean joked fondly, 'cause that was what he did when something hit too close to home.

"Can it, ya idjit," Bobby retorted. "I'm serious. What the hell are you waiting for?"

Turning to Sam, maybe his brother would help him out, Dean opened his mouth to protest, but Sam just hit him with the deadest of expressions and shrugged. "No, he's right. You're being an idiot."

It was something about his brother's words that snapped him into action. And it wasn't like he hadn't seen the same sentiment in one of Sam's eyerolls or Eileen's sideways looks in the past couple months, but hearing it made it different somehow. Maybe it took twelve years, but he finally realized that Cas was right. That he's allowed to have something good, that his father's ghost doesn't control him.

That this life that he was raised in brought him a family, one that doesn't end in blood, but that doesn't mean he has to die in it. That the misery that has characterized almost eighty years of his life (thirty-seven on Earth, forty in Hell) doesn't have to define the next forty years. That he can get out, and he can get out with Cas, and they can have a bee farm or something else ridiculous and rustic and _normal_ like that, and he'll love it because he loves Cas.

And he was always more of an "actions speak louder than words" kind of guy, so he muttered, "Fine," and stood up.

He shoved the butterflies back into his stomach, catching sight of Cas talking to Cesar Cuevas, stealing glances towards Dean every so often. And this time, his eyes caught on Dean's, and he was sucked into the electric blue that he wanted to wake up to for the rest of his life (and then for an eternity in Heaven if he was lucky).

Before he allowed himself time to second-guess what he was doing, he strode over to Cas, taking his hand and turning the other man towards him. Lifting a shaky hand to Cas's cheek, brushing over the stubble there, his fingers tingling, Cas's own hand came to fit on his shoulder (right over where his handprint was burned into Dean's soul).

Faintly, he heard the low hum of chatter start to die down, but he couldn't focus on that right now. "I-I never said...you know." He still couldn't get the words out, but Cas was patient, infinitely so, and just raised an eyebrow. But then, he squinted his eyes and tilted his head like he had done so many times before and Dean just laughed. Because there was that angel he had fallen for.

"Fuck, I love when you do that," he muttered, using both hands to cup Cas's cheeks and bring him forward.

The kiss was firm (they had wasted so much time not doing this), his tongue sliding along the seam of Cas's lips, pulling back before they started full-on making out in front of their friends and family. (Family which included their son and their kinda-daughter.) But Cas just hummed in appreciation, pulling Dean closer, his hand never moving from his shoulder though, until there was barely any space left.

And when they finally drifted apart with great reluctance, the noise filtering back in, Dean realized that Donna was catcalling them, and there were several people applauding, and Claire was shouting, "Fucking _finally_ " only to get hushed by Jody for the bad language (but then Kaia was kissing her to make up for it).

Sam just clapped Dean and Cas on the back, beaming from ear-to-ear and Jack was dancing around with Alex, the two of them holding one of Garth's kids between them.

Bobby just smiled, his form starting to fade at the edges. "Just know...there'll be peace when you boys are done," he nodded at Cas and Jack, clearly including them. "Ellen and I, your mom and dad, Rufus, Jo, Charlie, Jessica, Ash, Pam...we're all waiting for you boys." He paused, his image starting to flicker, and Dean didn't feel sad or lost like he expected to. Because Cas was next to him, his family was safe, and he could say with confidence that those they had lost were actually in paradise. "But we better not see you all for a goddamn long while, you hear?"

Sam and Dean both nodded, and Dean knows that neither of them have any plans for kicking the can anytime soon. In fact, they're both looking forward to the exact opposite.

"Idjits," Bobby says fondly before he disappeared, the bright light traveling upwards through the ceiling.

Looking around, Dean can't help but think that this is what peace must feel like.

His friends nearby, Garth's little ones running through the bunker, giving their werewolf parents a good workout. Hunters like Cesar and Jesse, and Max and Alicia welcome and getting to know everyone. Jody and Donna cuddling by the map table, laughing together with Alex and Patience. Claire has her arm around Kaia as she introduces her to Jack proudly as her girlfriend. Rowena is sitting, for once quiet, and with an uncharacteristically wistful look on her face as she watches everyone.

Eileen is sitting on Sam's lap in one of the library's chairs they dragged into the main room, the two signing to each other, and he can see his brother's hand in his pocket. Dean winks at him knowingly, getting a one-fingered sign in response.

He turns and Cas is by his side, and he can't resist, so he bends down and kisses him again. Just a quick peck really, just because he can.

"I love you, Dean," Cas says, and he almost sighs with relief when the Empty doesn't come for him, his smile bright and Dean doesn't think he's ever seen Cas smile as much as he has since Dean pulled him from the Empty. Fuck, if he doesn't look absolutely gorgeous when he smiles, blue eyes glowing even though he no longer has his Grace.

"I love you too," Dean replies, the words suddenly coming easy. Because now he knows.

This _is_ what peace feels like.

Fucking finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has read this whole fic! I love all of you so much, you guys make my whole day.
> 
> This was my attempt at an ending to the show that still focuses on the Sam & Dean relationship but with the core themes of found family and actually paying off the amazingness that was Saileen and the freaking once-in-a-lifetime-will-never-happen-again-ness that was Destiel. (Because I wanted to scream "it's about balance!" at my laptop for like, the entire last couple episodes.) So please feel free to leave a kudos or review to tell me how I did!
> 
> Thank you again for reading!
> 
> #TheirLoveWasReal


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